Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania (2022)

This is a movie which should be used to teach students on how not to write a script. It is sloppy, it is not funny, it is lacking in any like redeeming adult qualities. I made it to the five minute mark before I lost interest in what was happening. The previous versions at least had adult jokes and was fun for the entire family.

Fmovies: 2 out of 5 stars.

The fourth film may be running its course with this beloved series. The film follows Dracula retiring and perhaps leaving the hotel business. And Jonathan trying to fit in with the monsters by turning himself into one and a few others into humans. Sadly, the plot is boring. The script is lazy. The humor is unfunny. Sure kids will love it. Adults may want to take a pass on this one. The animation is eh.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022) is a movie I recently watched with my daughter on Amazon Prime. The storyline follows Jonathan and Mavis still in love and Dracula ready to leave them his hotel; however, he has some hesitancy in leaving his hotel to a human. While he delays this decision Jonathan looks to overcome the challenges of being human by getting turned into a monster himself; unfortunately, that experiment leads to mass monster to human transformations and humans to monster transformations. Can Jonathan close Pandora's box on this experiment now that he has it open; and if he could would he even want to?

This movie is codirected by Derek Drymon (CatDog) and Jennifer Kluska (DC Super Hero Girls) and contains the voices of Adam Sandler (Mr. Deeds), Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live), Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), David Spade (Joe Dirt), Molly Shannon (Superstar) and Fran Drescher (The Nanny).

The storyline was very straightforward and fairly cliché. The animation was excellent and it was fun seeing these horror characters with this quality of animation. The transformation scenes were very entertaining as well. Van Helsing was easily my favorite character in this and he was very well done. There's some unique circumstances in this and some good lessons learned on family and giving people the benefit of the doubt.

Overall this is a fairly average addition to the genre that is still worth a viewing. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania fmovies. This film is rather disappointing as far as the Hotel Transylvania franchise goes. It starts out with potential, and lots of fun little moments like the transformations, but the story is so thin that it runs out of material and ends quite abruptly. The tension between Dracula and Johnny is fine but we've seen it before. Not much of a finale.

Even without Adam Sandler, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania still works. Since this is the fourth installment of this franchise, the jokes are a little tired and the story isn't as strong, but the movie still managed to get a few chuckles out of me, and the animation is enjoyable. Hotel Transylvania isn't a great animated film series, but at least it's consistent.

Greetings again from the darkness. There is nothing wrong with delivering exactly what's expected for kids' movies. It's a bit bewildering that so many fall short. This is the fourth (and final) film in the hugely successful "Transylvania" animated movie franchise, although it's the first not directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (credited here as co-writer and Executive Producer). Also missing this time are Adam Sandler and Kevin James, who previously voiced Dracula and Frankenstein, respectively. The character voices have been replaced by Brian Hull and Brad Abrell, and rest assured, the vast majority of young fans will never notice. The film is co-directed by Derek Drymon (one of the creative forces behind the 'SpongeBob SquarePants' franchise - including video games and movies) and Jennifer Kluska (the main director in the 'Wild Kratts' series). What they've done is deliver exactly what's expected ... a fun time for kids.

It's been 10 years since the first HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012) and nearly four years since the most recent, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION (2018). As this one begins, Dracula is throwing a party to celebrate the hotel's 125th anniversary. It opens with Dracula and his daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) dancing to "Just the Two of Us". The sweet moment soon morphs into "Just the Three of Us" as her husband Johnny (Andy Samberg) joins in. This is the first, but certainly not the last, transformation - as you've probably guessed by the title.

The characters and visuals are the key elements for most kids, and 'Transylvania' is here to serve. What's interesting this time is that Johnny and Mavis are the key players. Thanks to a special ray gun that transforms (there's that word again) humans to monsters and monsters to humans, the big kick here is that Johnny is zapped and becomes a colorful and zany dragon that is sure to generate laughs. Cellar-bound Van Helsing (a returning Jim Gaffigan) is the developer of the ray gun. After a series of mishaps result with the party punch turning most of the monsters into human form, the whole crew sets off on a South American adventure to locate a replacement crystal so the ray gun can return them to their natural monster state.

Since most kids' movies include a life lesson or moral, you can probably guess what happens to the characters on that journey. Being transformed gives them a different perspective and appreciation of the "other" side. That said, the comedy here leans towards the slapstick and pratfalls of classic cartoons, especially Looney Toons. Kids are sure to enjoy the 'physical' comedy, in particular that of Johnny as an eager-to-please dragon.

Many of the voices are returning actors, and include Fran Drescher (Eunice, the Bride of Frankenstein), Steve Buscemi (Wayne the Werewolf), David Spade (Griffin the Invisible Man), and Keegan-Michael Key (Murray the Mummy). There is a humorous recurring gag for grown-ups with Frankenstein and how much he admires his human looks, a startling visual of BB the guinea pig, and a reminder of why momma always told you to keep an eye on your drink at parties. Those familiar with the Transylvania franchise should be satisfied, and any new viewers should be entertained ... exactly what's expected.

Premieres on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, January 14, 2022.